One of Alabama’s biggest concerns heading into the 2012 season is how it will replace 2011 starting wide receivers Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks—and their combined 219 career receptions.

Rising junior receiver Kenny Bell has caught just 19 passes in his two years at the Capstone, but he enters the fall as the leading candidate to emerge as quarterback A.J. McCarron’s go-to target this season.

The Rayville (LA) native is the leading returning receiver for Nick Saban’s offense after snaring 17 passes for 255 yards and a pair of touchdown receptions in 2011.

While those numbers may not strike fear in opposing defenses, Saban called Bell the team’s most consistent playmaker in the spring—which bodes well for fans hoping to see Bell’s production increase exponentially this season.

Earned the Respect of Teammates and Coaches

In addition to earning praise from Saban for his consistency in the spring, Bell was identified by Crimson Tide corner Dee Milliner as one of the toughest weapons Alabama’s vaunted secondary has to defend on a daily basis in practice.

In his highly publicized Twitter spat with LSU corner Tyrann Mathieu, McCarron tossed a shout-out to Bell by claiming he would take his team’s No. 7 over LSU's in a head-to-head battle.

Clearly, in the eyes of his coaches and teammates, Bell is deserving of the chance to become a bigger part of the Crimson Tide’s attack this season.

The Unknown

Dave Martin/Getty ImagesBell has positioned himself to be the team's No. 1 receiver heading into fall camp.

The main question surrounding Bell entering the season is, can he step up and be a reliable No. 1 receiver for McCarron this season?

No one is expecting Bell to be as dominant as former Crimson Tide star Julio Jones—but it wouldn’t be surprising for him to top Maze’s numbers (56 catches, 627 yards and one touchdown) from a year ago.

The good news for Bell is that he doesn’t have to produce All-SEC-caliber statistics for him to be an effective receiver in Alabama’s offense—after all, the Crimson Tide won it all last season with limited production from their pass-catching unit.

However, the 6’1”, 180-pounder has put in the necessary work in the offseason to help him meet the challenge of becoming the Crimson Tide’s go-to wide receiver in 2012.